1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning gas streams that contain unwanted contaminants, such as particulate matter and unwanted gases, and in particular, it relates to an air-cleaning apparatus that is capable of removing not only dust and smoke but also such gases as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide. The invention has a method aspect, in the use of the apparatus for the purpose set forth herein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different methods and kinds of equipment for air-pollution control are known. There are the intertidal separators, such as cyclones, the scrubbers and washers, including spray chambers, atomizing scrubbers, deflector washers, mechanical scrubbers and spray nozzles. There are the fabric collectors, including cloth filters and complete baghouses. Also known are the electrostatic precipitators, sonic precipitators, settling chambers, catalytic equipment, direct-flame fume incinerators, liquid-waste incinerators, solid-waste incinerators, gaseous-waste incinerators, trash compactors, fans and blowers, gas-absorption equipment, gas-adsorption equipment, and odor counter-actants and destructors. It is also known to separate solid particles and unwanted gases from a gas stream with the use of a liquid filter comprising a high column of water or the like. The implementation of such a system, however, has been limited due to the high gas stream inlet pressures required to operate such systems as well as the relative ineffectiveness of conventional machinery to generate the necessary pressure to render such systems cost effective and efficient. An advantage exists, therefore, for a gas stream purifying apparatus which uses a high column of water as a liquid filter and which efficiently produces the high gas stream inlet pressures required to operate such an apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved gas stream purifying apparatus which uses a high column of water as a liquid filter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for efficiently and economically producing the high gas stream inlet pressures required for gas stream purifying devices which use a high column of water as a liquid filter.
Still other objects and advantages will become apparent when one considers the drawings and the description of the invention presented hereinbelow.